


Fire comes from the breath

by Allo_bonjour



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angry Zuko (Avatar), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Burns, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Panic Attacks, Self-Harm, Trauma, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28777476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allo_bonjour/pseuds/Allo_bonjour
Summary: Iroh doesn't make it out of the North Pole and Ozai doesn't want Zuko home. Azula made sure he knew that. Now questioning the war and having nothing left to lose, not even hope, Zuko's not sure where to go next. He fought non stop for years, and now he thinks he's lost for good. What happens when a certain Southern Water Tribe fleet takes the lost prince captive?
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 123
Kudos: 353





	1. A Heartwarming Sibling Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, the first chapter might be a bit boring, but that's because I'm setting the scene (and maybe because this is my first time writing fan fiction). The pace will probably pick up in the next chapter or so. Also, I have no idea how long this is going to be. At least to he end of canon season two. Yeah. That sounds right. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

“Set our course for home.” Home. It had been so long, Zuko couldn’t believe it was finally happening. Azula had said that Father regretted banishing him, that even after everything that had happened, Father wanted him home. Father still wanted him, even if he hadn’t yet captured the Avatar. Zuko felt calm for the first time in- well since his banishment started, really. Despite this, a loud voice piped up in the back of his head, _Uncle won’t get the chance to go home._  


“You heard the princess, raise the anchors. We’re taking the prisoner home.” What. Azula’s eyes widened, she stared at the captain, murder behind her glare. The captain tried to correct himself as soon as the words left his mouth, but the damage was done. “Your highness, I-” The captain hesitated and glanced back towards Zuko. No. No, no, no, no, no. Fear jumped up the back of Zuko’s throat, clawing its way into his head, but he squashed it back down. Zuko tore past the guards in front of him,  


“You lied to me!” He roared. This wasn’t right. It was not supposed to go this way. Azula smiled and responded as calmly as always.  


“Like I’ve never done that before.” She waved slightly, turned, and walked back onto the deck of the ship. Where did she think she was going, this was not over. Zuko took out two more of her guards, leaping forward onto the deck with no hesitation. Azula was standing with her back turned to him, looking out at sea almost like she had nothing better to do. He attacked, and she blocked or deflected, never missing a punch. Azula tossed Zuko back,  


“You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole, and he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar.” Zuko winced, but never took his eyes off Azula. Her words felt like a punch to the gut. The North Pole was Zhao’s idea, and it was Zhao who messed it all up. _That doesn’t really help Uncle though._ Azula continued, knowing exactly which words would cut him as deeply as possible, “Why would he want you home except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him.” Zuko lunged at her, starting the punches up all over again.

Zuko was surrounded. There were so many guards, and no way back down to the dock. Azula looked down at Zuko from the top of the deck, never dropping that shrewd, smug smile of hers. She was always smiling, and it was always at the expense of someone else. Usually Zuko. There was a crackle in the air, and Zuko’s hair stood on end. Everything in his body told him to _move._ Zuko threw himself to the side, causing his sister to just miss him with a blast of lightning. Just. Zuko’s chest heaved, breathing was suddenly a lot harder than it should be. The guards were running at him now. Zuko shot to his feet, immediately stumbled backwards, tripped and fell off the side of the boat.

\-- * --

Zuko was running. His throat felt like sandpaper and his lungs hurt. He dropped to his knees beside a river. He should be far enough now that Azula and her soldiers wouldn’t find him, at least not for a little while. Grasping for a proper breath, his chest still heaving, he let out a choked sob. _No, stop._ He told himself, _stop acting so weak._ He rubbed his eyes fiercely. _Don’t cry, it won’t help the situation you’re in._ His eyes stung and his vision started to blur. It had been three years since the last time he had seen his little sister. She had only been eleven on the day of the Agni Kai. Azula had always been so strong and so smart, everything came so easily to her. She had blue fire now. She was fourteen and she could already bend lightning. She was a true prodigy, just like their Father had always said. _No wonder Father loves her more._ It was that voice again.  


Zuko took out the knife Uncle had given him and read the inscription out loud.  


“Never give up without a fight.” Zuko glared at those words. He had fought. He was always fighting. Fighting against his nightmares, against his memories. Fighting with himself. He reached up and cut his Phoenix tail. Not only was Zuko banished and on the run, he was alone.  


He missed Uncle. It was childish of him, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. Uncle had always been there when he was afraid to firebend, and he never told Zuko he was weak for being so afraid. Uncle had always been so patient with him, even when Zuko insisted on being as difficult as possible. Zuko felt completely and utterly useless. Uncle had always been there for him, and he couldn’t do anything to return the favour. Uncle had needed his help, and Zuko couldn’t save him. He tried so, so hard, to be good enough for everybody, and he failed. He always failed. Father was right to not want him home, he was right to have done what he did. Zuko was a waste of space, a waste of time and energy. Uncle should have stayed back home in the Fire Nation. It was too late for that now though, too late to change the past. Too late for Uncle. At least he was with his real son now, forever in Agni’s light.


	2. That's just Zuko's luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update schedule? Nah. Too much pressure.
> 
> I forgot to mention this last time, but my twin is helping me edit this. So, shout out to them I guess? :D

Zuko had had a miserable last few days. He didn’t have any resources, and he had no idea where he was going. In his defence, he didn’t really have anywhere _to_ go. The Fire Nation was after his head, the Earth Kingdom would not hesitate to bury him alive, and there was no way he was getting back to the North Pole. Not that he had any particular want to go back there. Besides, the Northern Water Tribe would most likely drown him if he got anywhere near their stupid block of ice either way. So, Zuko was stranded wandering around the Earthkingdom countryside.

Zuko was starving. He had been slowly meandering his way through the forest all day lost in his own thoughts. He might be able to catch something to eat if he really tried, but he couldn’t see much of a point in doing so. How long would he have to survive out here? How many days would he spend running from the world; running from the war. Zuko’s thoughts always led back to the war. The war was about sharing the Fire Nation’s greatness and prosperity with the world, so why was the Northern Water Tribe so insistent on keeping the Fire Nation out? _Those savages._ He thought to himself. _Do they have any idea how many people their senseless resistance killed?_ Zuko knew. He knew exactly what had happened to all those soldiers. He had spent days stuck at sea, looking at the chaos with his own eyes. The waves of bodies never seemed to end.

\-- * --

Zuko and Iroh had spent days drifting through the frigid waters of the North Pole. The black depths held countless bodies, some floating, others impaled or crushed by the wreckage of the huge ships. The sea water was wild and violent, always biting and tearing at their small raft. Drowning was not an option, so the two men held strong. It had felt like a miracle when Iroh spotted a stray Fire Navy ship searching for survivors. Zuko had almost been overwhelmed by the wave of relief that had washed over him. Unfortunately for the two royals, the occupants of the ship weren’t too happy to see them. He couldn't remember much of the incident at the moment. He knew there was fire, and blood. A lot of blood. Uncle was yelling something, but what? Zuko could not for the life of him decipher what the general had been trying to say, it was all so fuzzy. Things had happened so quickly, and everything was blurring together. There was so much missing from his memories, like entire pages torn from the chapter of a book. Images of Uncle kept flashing in his head. So, so much blood. He remembers being thrown back onto their makeshift raft, and then, nothing. Empty space. He woke up alone at shore.

\-- * --

The sky had turned a magnificent yellow as Agni sunk below the horizon. Zuko wondered how many more sunsets he could bear to see come and go. How many more aching breaths he could take, knowing that he could have done something to help Uncle. He should have done more. How could he be so useless as to let Uncle die like that? Zuko heard a whisper in his ear, _Die like what? You can’t even remember what happened._

“Shut up.” Zuko covered his ears as if doing so would ward off his own thoughts. He could hear people nagging at him in his head. He could hear Zhao’s taunts, and all those insults Azula never stopped throwing his way. Every punishment his father delivered, every disappointed look and snide remark. “Stop. Be quiet. Please, just stop,” Zuko begged. The voices just kept getting louder and louder, and with every word and every image that swam around Zuko’s head, breathing got harder and harder. They were screaming at him, screaming how little he mattered. Screaming about how badly he messed up. It was all his fault, all of it. Mother, his banishment, Uncle. If he had just been better, if he had just tried _harder_. Try as he might, Zuko could not make it stop. He tore at his head and clawed at his ears. Suddenly he was a bird in a locked cage. He tried to tear his way out, but all there was was him. The noise seemed endless, and the air grew so thin he thought he was going to pass out.

Zuko was on his knees, alone, in the middle of a strange forest in a foreign land fighting for control of his own head. When the deafening screams pounding in his skull finally stopped, all he could do was sit and try to breathe properly again. The skin on his arms and neck stung, he looked down and saw that there were small beads of blood along his arms. Thin lines ran up and down his arms. They looked like scratch marks. Had he done that? It was getting dark now, and it was cold. He attempted to summon a flame, but it took much more effort than it should have, especially since the flame he had managed to make was pathetic. It was a spark compared to his usual burning fire. He tried again, and again, and again, but the flame never got any bigger. In fact, it felt like it might even be getting smaller. Well shit. Zuko had lost everything else of value, why not his fire too? _Useless. Can’t even summon your own flame_. So there Zuko was. A prince without a nation, a son without a father, and a firebender without any fire. Marvelous.

Zuko had been staring at the tree in front of him for a while, or past the tree really. His head was completely empty. The sheer amount of shit he had gone through in the last few weeks was simply too much to handle, and way too much to process. He felt like a scared kid again, sitting alone in his bedroom waiting for his punishment, only, this was his punishment. Zuko wasn’t quite sure what he had done to deserve it this time, but that wasn’t necessarily a new occurrence at this point. So Zuko sat until the stars slept and the sky turned grey. Time was moving just as slowly as it had been all day and all night, when- _**snap**_. Zuko whirled around to see three men. It was just light enough to see their blue clothes and not so happy faces. Great. That’s just Zuko’s luck isn’t it.

One of the men lunged at Zuko, spear in hand. Zuko snapped it in two with a well timed kick, and punched him in the throat, knocking him down instantly. The other two men wasted no time taking their turn on the offensive. Zuko was holding his own well enough, until he tried to throw a fireball at one of the men and barely managed to make a puff of smoke. Needless to say, that caught Zuko a little off guard. Zuko saw something move in the corner of his eye, and just before he could properly react, something hit him hard on the side of the head. He thudded to the ground, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road, and you surrender to your lowest instincts." - General Iroh


	3. A surprise guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was struggling to start this chapter the other day, having to switch perspectives and all. This is the only thing I could come up with for a solid day:
> 
> Hakoda was chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool. Shooting some B-ball outside a’ the boat, when a couple of guys, who were up to no good, started makin’ trouble with the fire navy. They got in one little fight and
> 
> I wonder what we'll see next time on my "brain and me".

Hakoda was getting worried. The crew had decided to camp on a secluded beach for the night so they could take a break from being at sea and hopefully catch some fresh meat. Fresh fruit would be nice too, especially with all the native varieties the Earth Kingdom had. Fish and seal jerky were great, sure, but only eating seafood gets tiresome. Nunuk, Nermik and Teraq had gone hunting the previous night. The sun was over head and camp was almost completely packed up, so where were they?

“Hakoda.” He looked over to see Bato. Bato, who had been separated from the crew and cornered in battle. Who had gotten seriously injured and had to be left behind to heal. Bato whom he had just gotten back. “Do you think we should go look for them?” Hakoda stood and thought for a moment. If they were in danger they would need back up. If someone had gotten hurt, going to look for them now instead of in five more minutes could save their life. Hakoda sighed and turned to look at his second in command. Usually, Hakoda would stay behind with the ship, and Bato would grab another crew member to look for anyone who got lost on the strange land they often found themselves in. Hakoda had just gotten Bato back, he wasn’t sending him anywhere.

“I’ll get Kinuk and go look for them. You make sure we’re ready to leave as soon as possible.” Hakoda said. Bato nodded and squeezed Hakoda’s arm. There were so many reasons Nunuk and the boys could be late, he just hoped it wasn’t anything Fire Nation related.

\-- * --

Nunuk was mumbling something about babysitting and always having to get idiots out of trouble. Teraq took offence to that. So, the argument that had been raging on since dawn continued. By the time the trio arrived back on the boat, Chief Hakoda and healer Kinuk were just about to go look for them. Nunuk was practically growling, and was kicking every crate or bag he passed.

“Nunuk! Where have the three of you been? I thought you were going for a _quick_ night hunt.” Kinuk asked with thinly veiled amusement. Nunuk grumbled and very aggressively gestured at the two young men behind him. Teraq rolled his eyes so hard Hakoda thought they might get stuck staring at the inside of his skull.

“These idiots decided sneaking up on a Fire Nation soldier would be a great idea.” Nunuk turned to healer Kinuk, “Lucky for us, no one got hurt. For the most part at least.” and rubbed a hand over his throat where a bruise was forming. Hakoda glanced over Nunuk’s shoulder. Teraq was standing with his hands on his hips, looking just about ready to punch Nunuk’s face in. Yup, he seemed perfectly fine. Nermik on the other hand, was much quieter than usual. He was staring intently at the bundle hanging over Nunuk’s shoulder, deep in thought. Hold on. That wasn’t a catch. Hakoda looked over at healer Kinuk. The two men seemed to have come to the same conclusion. Nunuk was holding a person.

“Nunuk,” Hakoda started. “What’cha got there?” Nunuk shifted the bundle wrapped in a tarp and plopped it on the deck of the ship. Teraq smirked and took the lead on this one.

“That, my dear chief, is a Fire Nation soldier.” Hakoda could not fathom why Teraq was so pleased with himself. They had just brought a very dangerous foe onto a _wooden ship_. Healer Kinuk snorted, patted Hakoda on the back, turned and walked right out of that situation. Hakoda wished he could do the same.

“Why is there a firebender on the ship?” Hakoda wondered a bit if he even should have dared ask.

“That’s the best part,” Teraq responded. “He’s not a firebender. Plus, the only weapon he has is this fancy knife.” Teraq pulled out a very expensive looking pearl dagger. Hakoda tried again.

“Okay. Why is there a Fire Nation soldier on the ship?” Teraq faltered, Nunuk laughed. Nermik decided it was his turn, and spoke up.

“For information.” Everyone looked at Nermik. Hakoda gestured for him to continue. “He’s a soldier, sure, but he was all alone. There were no camps or any other human tracks beside his own. Now that we have him, we can use him for information.” Hakoda wanted to say what a stupid risk this was, but Nermik made a good point. The Fire Nation being what it was, Hakoda doubted they would go looking for a missing soldier like this one. He had been fighting in the war for two years, and the Fire Nation never came back for downed soldiers, especially not for the low ranking soldiers they considered as dispensable lives. What’s more, the Fire Nation was expanding their control over the water faster than the warriors could keep up. They needed inside knowledge on the Fire Nation’s navigation plans if they were going to get to Camelion Bay and meet up with the rest of the fleet. Hakoda sighed and rubbed his temples. He was going to regret this wasn’t he?

Hakoda hoisted the unconscious soldier over his shoulder and carried him below deck. The Fire Nation goon was surprisingly easy to lift. He wasn’t a fire bender, so there wasn’t any risk of spontaneous flame throwing, however, finding a place to keep him was still going to be somewhat of a challenge. They didn’t have a very large ship or crew, and they were not prepared for any sort of ‘guest’. In the end, Hakoda decided the only option was to tie their prisoner to a chair in his quarters. Keep your enemies close, eh? Hakoda stood and stared for a moment. The soldier really was quite small, he would barely even consider him a man. Just how old was he? Nunuk dropped by just before dinner and nudged the soldier with his foot.

“I guess I hit him pretty hard.” Nunuk said jokingly. As if on cue, the feeble soldier started stirring… no, squirming? _Here we go…_ Hakoda thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Destiny is a funny thing, you never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday." - General Iroh


	4. Concussed or depressed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!ATTENTION!! NEW TAGS, some readers may find things in this chapter disturbing, note paragraph two.
> 
> So I just realized I forgot to mention that Zuko is in fact in a Fire Nation uniform, and not that robe from s2, ep1. Which is the reason why they're all so sure he's just you're run a' the mill soldier.
> 
> Also, my twin got bored and is no longer helping me edit. Another short lived sibling partnership down the drain, lol.

The tiles beneath Zuko’s feet were cold. He was standing in the middle of an arena, hundreds of eyes boring into him from every angle. Zuko lost feeling in his legs and dropped suddenly to the floor. Chains flew up from beneath him and bound his wrist and ankles in place. He could see his reflection in the tiles, young, scared and unscarred. Zuko knew what would happen next, and just as before, there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. He was powerless. Zuko could hear the snickers and jeers from the crowd. He watched as a huge figure approached him. Zuko began to beg and cry for mercy. Please not again. _Please Father, please_ \-- Father was right. He was a coward and a disgrace to their Nation. A disgrace to the Fire Lord’s Nation.

“You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.” The room grew hot and suffocating, as his face burned once again. The fire consumed the oxygen around him, and the crowd’s cheers grew so loud he could not hear his own screams begging to make it stop. Charred hands leapt up from the ground to drag him further into the flames. The yells of encouragement echoing around the arena became ear splitting cries of pain and agony. Zuko could feel the skin all over his body bubbling and blistering before sliding off of him in thick sheets. Zuko writhed and kicked and screamed alone in a room of flames and shadows, it all slowly eating away at him. Something broke through it all.

“Zuko! Zuko!” It was Uncle, He was here! Zuko tried to reach out, to run to him, but the chains kept him in place, only growing stronger, digging further into his wrists with every attempt to tear them off. Iroh was running toward him, but every step he took only pushed him further and further out of reach. The flames flew away from Zuko, heading straight for Uncle. Zuko tried to warn him, but the shrill screams bouncing off the walls drowned him out. Just before the flames reached Uncle Zuko woke up. It had all been a dream. It wasn’t real. It was just a dream. None of it was real.

“Aw, did you have a nightmare?” Zuko snapped his head up and immediately regretted it. His head was killing him. Grey splotches clouded his vision. Zuko tried again, slower this time. The light in the room was a bright needle through his eyes. He was sitting on a chair, his wrists bound tightly behind him. The floor was rocking slightly in a way that was too familiar. He was on a ship. _How ironic, you exchanged one sea bound prison for another_. He really wished the voices in his head would stop pointing out such ‘helpful’ information. The room was made of wood, and there were two men standing in front of him. They wore water tribe blue. Both men were taller than Zuko, that was certain. One of the Water Tribe men was leaning against a desk placed across the room from Zuko. He had short, shaggy hair, the top half of which was pulled into a wolf tail. His eyes were very blue, and looked eerily familiar. The man closest to the door was taller. He was _very_ buff and was staring straight at Zuko. _Shit_. Zuko might have wished he could shut his eyes and go back to sleep, but sleep was even more concerning than reality at this point.

The room was completely silent. Did they expect him to say something? Zuko opened his mouth, and changed his mind as soon as he did so. Zuko decided he would keep his mouth shut for once. It was odd though. He should be furious that they have him tied up on a wooden ship. How stupid can someone get, he’s a firebender for Agni’s sake. Well, usually. Zuko shifted uncomfortably. His throat was dry and his head was swaying with the boat. A firebender who can’t firebend. Now that is another level of useless.

The man Zuko hadn’t seen before stepped forward. He stared into Zuko’s eyes unwaveringly. Zuko stared right back. Zuko never lost a standoff. After a little while of assessing him, the man took a step back and shook his head. Zuko knew the man was not impressed with whatever he had found. Big whoop, neither was Zuko. The two Water Tribe men left him alone in the cabin. Zuko’s head was still throbbing, but he decided against closing his eyes. Zuko stared at the floor. He was a prince, or he had been not too long ago. He knew he should be taking in his surroundings and looking for weaknesses in the enemy. He should be planning an escape or demanding information from the one in charge. Zuko didn’t care all that much about escaping at the moment though. He’d grown tired of wandering around forests and rivers. He didn’t care what these people did to him, or what they wanted from him. He just wanted to get it over with. Nevertheless, that constant voice in the back of his head kept poking, and the fear refused to stop inching its way up Zuko’s spine. Zuko tried to do what he always did. He tried to force the biting fear back down, and hold on for dear life to what was left; anger. It wasn’t working. His burning fury was being smothered by the weight of everything, and Zuko didn’t have anything left to fuel the flames.

\-- * --

Hakoda was a bit confused. Normally when someone wakes up with their hands tied behind their back, they have a few questions. Was that guy concussed or something? All he did was stare. Hakoda was _not_ taking care of a concussed Fire Nation soldier. Hakoda knew he couldn’t leave the goon alone in his room for long, but he was not looking forward to dealing with this mess, concussion or not. Nunuk went to get his dinner and send down healer Kinuk for their possibly brain damaged prisoner. As he left, Bato came down to eat with Hakoda. Bato chuckled when he saw the look on Hakoda’s face.

“What’s wrong ‘Koda? That ash maker already causing trouble?” Hakoda rolled his eyes and gently elbowed Bato in the ribs.

“He’s not a Fire bender Bato, remember? It’s just, up close, he looks younger than I would have thought a soldier to be.” Hakoda couldn’t stop thinking about Sokka and Katara. Bato had seen them on his way back to the ship. He said they were traveling with the avatar, and that they were also being chased by the Fire Prince. Hakoda had tried so hard to keep them safe. They were so young. Or at least they had been when he and the other men left them and the village to join the war. So much can happen in two years. Sokka was fifteen now. That was how old Nermik was when he started fighting against the Fire Nation. Bato had said that they were going to the North Pole to find Katara and the avatar a waterbending teacher. His children were growing into their own people without him. The avatar was twelve. That soldier looked so young. Nermik had been so young, and Teraq wasn’t that much older. Why were there so many children fighting this war?

“Hakoda.” Bato was holding his hand. He sounded concerned. His eyebrows were drawn together and he was staring straight at Hakoda. “Is everything-” Hakoda cut him off with a quick nod. They had a prisoner to handle. No more stalling. Hakoda took a steadying breath and pushed away his concerns for his children. He would see them again. Bato had given them a map to Cameleon Bay. Right now, Hakoda needed to concentrate on finding his crew their own safe way there.

“Let’s get this over with.” Bato squeezed Hakoda’s hand, and the two men stepped back into the cabin. Hakoda moved in front of the soldier. The young Fire worshiper was staring at the floor. Hakoda cleared his throat. Nothing. He tried again. The soldier barely even stirred. Hakoda stepped aside and looked back at Bato. Bato was standing near Hakoda’s desk, quietly eating his stew. Hakoda nodded at the soldier, shrugging. Bato raised his eyebrow at him in return. They turned back to the soldier.

“Oi! Listen up!” The goon flinched, and his head slowly drifted upwards. He looked in the direction of both men without actually focussing on either of them. Huh. Maybe Healer Kinuk should hurry up. Before Hakoda could say anything else, a loud clatter of silverware came from behind him. Bato was on his feet, his dinner spilled all over the floor. He was livid.

“ _You!_ ” He snarled. Hakoda was taken aback. Bato rarely used that tone of voice. When he did, _shit went down_. Before Hakoda could properly assess the situation, Bato was across the room and dragging the Fire Nation goon upwards by the collar of his shirt. The soldier yelped and tried to squirm away from Bato. His breathing was uneven and coming in sharp gasps, while his eyes darted all over the room. Hakoda jumped forward and yelled, “Bato, stop!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're looking at the white dragon bush. It's leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking! That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous." - General Iroh


	5. Bloody noses and fire benders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long. As you probably know, it's the end of the semester. So I had some important school work to take care of. I'm back now though, and I'll try to post more often.

Zuko was nose to nose with a furious Water Tribe warrior. He kept trying to look away, to look anywhere but at the face inches from his own, but the warrior would not stop yelling at him. He was asking questions and demanding answers, shaking Zuko violently as he did so. Zuko could not for the life of him understand the words leaving the man’s mouth. The walls were closing in on him. The warrior was holding Zuko up by the collar of his shirt, yanking the chair up with him. The chair was leaning on it’s two front pegs and was dangerously close to falling over. Zuko glued his eyes shut. _Coward_. He needed to get out of there. Zuko could feel his hands heating up out of pure desperation and adrenaline, slowly burning through some of the rope. It wasn’t enough. _Quick. Think!_ The second man jumped forward.

“ **Get off of me!”** Zuko did the only thing he could; he bit the hand too close to his neck. The warrior yelped and drew his hand back. Zuko fell face first to the ground. The metallic taste of blood crept through his lips.

“Bato, what the hell!” The warrior apparently named Bato, kicked Zuko in the stomach. The other man grabbed him and threw him back towards the door. “Bato, what are you doing? He’s tied up. Why-”

“That’s the **motherfucking _Fire Prince._** ” Zuko was breathing hard and his heart was pounding inside his chest. What did he mean he was the Fire Prince? Of course he was the Fire Prince, who else would he be? Zuko was drowning in a sea of thoughts, but he couldn’t string any of them together. Zuko felt lightheaded and heavy at the same time. He was on his side, his wrists still bound behind him on the chair, but he could feel the rope was looser.

Above him, the commotion continued on. Luckily Zuko had landed on his scarred side, and could see both men and most of the room. He needed to get out of here. The walls were still too close and the air was too warm. Zuko tugged at his restraints. They were loosening. He frantically tugged and pulled at the rope, slowly wiggling his wrists free. _Now what genius?_ Run. That’s what.

Zuko jumped up and bolted out the door of the cabin. The only thing on his mind was to find a way out. Zuko found a staircase, and without stopping to think, he sprinted up it. As soon as he reached the top, he was faced with an entire crew of Water Tribe Warriors. _Fucking shit._

\-- * --

Hakoda was lost. Fire Prince? That made no sense. For one, Teraq had said that he wasn’t a firebender. Secondly, what was the Fire Prince doing alone, dressed in a Fire Navy uniform, in an Earth Kingdom forest? Hakoda tried to diffuse the situation.

“Bato, that doesn’t make any sense. How could he be-” Bato jumped in, cutting Hakoda off mid sentence.

“No, Hakoda, you aren’t listening! That fucker chased the kids halfway across the world!” Bato tried to get past Hakoda to the tied up soldier. Hakoda stopped him and tried to explain how incoherent and unfounded his accusations were, but Bato wasn’t having any of it. In the midst of the commotion, the soldier managed to escape from his restraints. He ran straight past the two arguing men, and out into the hallway. Bato pursued him, and Hakoda ran after them. It was a race to see who would catch the snake first. _La, help the poor guy if Bato beats me to him._

They were sprinting up the steps to the main deck now. The three of them burst onto the deck in quick succession. The soldier had stopped, and the crew were all staring at him. Bato tackled the young soldier, the two of them sprawling to the ground. Hakoda jumped in, and it soon became a violent three person brawl. Everyone was fair game. The soldier was holding off against both men, while Hakoda and Bato threw punches his way and at each other. The crew stood there speechless.

The skinny snake of a soldier slipped from Bato’s grasp and started scrambling away.

“Oh no you don’t!” Bato yelled, grabbing the soldier by his boot and dragging him back. Bato tried to get on top of him to take the upper hand, but Hakoda threw him to the side. The soldier popped Hakoda one in the face. Rude. Bato jumped back in, and the fight raged on. Healer Kinuk could be heard snickering from across the deck. He sauntered forward and gestured for Nunuk to join.

Nunuk, the excessively muscular man that he is, pulled Bato and Hakoda away from the fight. Kinuk grabbed the soldier and held him down. It took Kinuk less effort to hold the guy down than Hakoda thought it should. The soldier looked so small and panicked. The young soldier had a bloody nose, a bruise was forming on his cheek, and another on the edge of his jaw. He looked a lot worse for wear than the two grown men who had attacked him. Bato and Hakoda kept arguing, and it did not seem like they would stop any soon. Bato was adamant that the guy was the Fire Prince, and Hakoda was sure that that was not possible.

“Nermik, get some more rope and bring it here.” Hakoda ordered. Nermik nodded, and immediately went off to grab some. The soldier under Kinuk tried harder to get away. “Not a fan of being tied up I see.” The soldier glared. Hakoda stared at the huge red scar on his face. It reminded him of Bato’s. The Fire Prince was a fire bender, and there was no way a fire bender would not be able to defend himself from a burn like that. That soldier _could not_ be a fire bender, so Fire Prince was completely off the table.

Kinuk grabbed the soldier’s arms, and the soldier flinched. He was in pain. Hakoda would have to get Kinuk to check him for injuries later. Nermik was back with the rope. As soon as the fire nation soldier saw him, he tore his arms away from Kinuk and sent a blast of fire into the air, narrowly avoiding Kinuk and the sails above them. Everyone jumped into battle ready stances. Hakoda looked over at Bato. Bato was staring at him expectantly. Hakoda shut his eyes and sighed.

“I know, I know. You don’t have to say it.” Bato said it anyway.

“I told you so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Are you so busy fighting you can not see your own ship has set sail?" - General Iroh


	6. A proposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took _**seventeen days**_. What the hell. Why. It wasn't even hard to write. Where did the time go?

Zuko had just thrown a fireball into the air, almost hitting the sails of the ship. _What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid idiot!_ If Zuko was freaked out, he was chilling compared to the ship’s crew. After a brief moment of astonishment, seen as apparently he was a fire bender, they were all ready to rip him to shreds. The large man he had punched in the throat, and who had been in the room when he woke up, wrapped his arms around him from behind. With his arms pinned firmly to his sides by the strength of a brute, Zuko was trapped once again. The man was squeezing too tight, which did not help Zuko’s already frenzied state of mind. Now he _really_ couldn’t breathe.

The two men who had chased him up the stairs were still arguing. Zuko tried to focus on them, and the way the other Water Tribe warriors moved around them. One of those two men was their leader, that was certain. The taller of the two kept glancing his way with plain contempt. The other would also look his way, but Zuko wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the way the man was looking at him. He wasn’t outwardly hostile as the rest of the warriors, but that did not make him any less of a threat.

Zuko was having a hard time keeping up a struggle against the man holding him in place. His arms still stung from the cuts he had accidentally given himself, and the blood from his nose was starting to dry on his face. his ribs ached, though he wasn’t sure if that was the bruising or hunger. The ‘rest’ he had gotten earlier had only done more to wear him out, and Zuko wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to hold himself up. Then again, with how solidly the warrior was restraining him, he wasn’t sure staying off of the floor would be a problem.

The warriors around him had quieted and the two men, one of whom was in charge, moved to stand directly in front of Zuko.

“I feel we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.” Zuko didn’t look up. He knew he had fucked up big time, and he was not going to make it any worse by assuming he was allowed to make eye contact. Zuko kept his mouth shut and his eyes down, just as his father had taught him to. There was an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air as Zuko waited for the Chief to continue. The Chief took his time. Then again, this was his ship, his crew, and Zuko was his prisoner. The chief could take as long as he wanted. So he did. Then, when he was good and ready, the chief did eventually resume whatever it was he was saying. “And your name would be?” Zuko took a deep breath, or at least tried to. Where was this going? They already knew who he was, what other reason would they have to kidnap him?

“My name is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Ursa, h-” Zuko cut himself off. He had been about to state his statues as heir, but he wasn’t sure the throne was his to claim any longer.

The man holding him in place from behind held him even tighter, if that was possible. Zuko gasped and tried to pull away, causing the man to squeeze him harder and harder. Zuko wondered how he could so consistently get himself in situations that took his breath away. It really is quite ridiculous, and it hurts _so fucking much_.

“Nunuk! You’re going to squeeze him to death for tui’s sake!” The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe patted the larger man on the shoulder, and easily removed him from trying to suffocate Zuko. As soon as the man let him go, Zuko fell to the deck. Out of habit, he tried to stand back up. Nope, not a good idea. He swayed, and tripped, hitting the deck once more. Zuko coughed and gasped, trying almost ineffectually to school his expression into something less pitiful. After composing himself somewhat, Zuko sat back on his heels in seiza. He knew he should not be showing these peasants any respect, but he didn’t see any other way to avoid getting assaulted again. _Keep your mouth shut and your eyes down. That’s a good boy._ Zuko kept his eyes on the deck, and waited. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was waiting for, a smack on the head, a beating, getting yelled at, anything really. He knew it would come when the Chief was ready to deliver.

\--*--

If it had been up solely to the crew, the fire snake would have been thrown off the boat in a heartbeat.The guy was the fucking fire prince. What a shit bag. Unfortunately, attacking the guy again wasn’t going to help anybody. So much to Bato and the crew’s dismay, Hakoda waited for the stupid teen to catch his breath. After all, a panicking enemy is a useless enemy in the wrong situation. The prince, as somehow that’s what he was, was trembling head to toe. Slowly, the pompous, pampered, prick got to the point where his breathing was slow and deliberate. There wasn’t much Hakoda and the crew could do to stop the guy from setting the boat on fire sinking them all, other than you know, throw him overboard. However, Hakoda wasn’t ready to give up just yet. They brought the ashmaker on to the boat for information, and they weren’t getting rid of him until they got what they needed. 

The prince was staring at the ground, sitting eerily still. What were they going to do with him? It wasn’t like they had iron cuffs or any type of cell to keep him in, and rope wouldn’t do anything against a fire bender. Hakoda looked back down at the prince. _This better work_.

“Ok _Prince Zuko_ ,” The name was sandpaper dragging against his tongue. “I have a proposition.” Hakoda moved to stand over the prince, keeping a hand on his club just in case. “We won’t tie you back up-” Murmurs and gasps from the crew came from all around. Hakoda cleared his throat in warning. “We won’t tie you back up, as long as you follow our orders. Unless you’d like to go for a nice swim, that is.” The prince stayed quiet. Hakoda crouched down to look the prince in the eye. Good deals were made with trust, or at the bare minimum, mutual and complete understanding. The ashmaker had the audacity to try and turn away. Hakoda caught the prince's jaw in his hand, forcing him to make direct eye contact. “Deal?” It was a threat not a question, and they both knew it.

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place." - General Iroh


	7. Schedule Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life gets busy, no I'm not on Hiatus don't worry.

Hey guys! So, as you may have noticed, chapter updates slowed down by quite a bit. Fear not, I have not lost interest.

I started this fanfic during Christmas break, so I literally had two straight weeks to write and upload and write again. Now school is back and I have other responsibilities along with it. A schedule seemed like too much pressure at first, but if I don't figure one out, I'll never finish this. So, I have a schedule in the works, and the next time I upload will be the day of the week I will try to post on from now on.

Sorry for the wait, I look forward to continuing this thing we started.

Edit: I'm also editing the tags as to not mislead new readers. The Gaang isn't here yet, so they're getting the boot from the tags until they are.


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